June 11, 200521 yr Commentary: Keeping McKeon would be smart By Greg Stoda Palm Beach Post Columnist Saturday, June 11, 2005 MIAMI GARDENS ? Jack McKeon is what he is as a baseball manager and he isn't going to change and the Marlins who either don't realize or can't accept that ought to get over themselves. They'd be silly or stupid, or both, not to. Unless team owner Jeffrey Loria is silly or stupid or both ? he's not, he's not, he's not ? McKeon isn't going away anytime this season. There's nothing strange, after all, about the dynamic at work these days as it applies to McKeon and his players. McKeon, 74, is a gruff old-schooler who was a crusty and curmudgeonly miracle-worker when he came to the rescue of the floundering Marlins early in the season two years ago and prodded them to a World Series title. Now? With the Marlins (30-28) floundering on his very own watch? Well, now, he's an over-the-hill cuss who's too rough on the guys and is ruining clubhouse chemistry with his confrontational manner. If you believe the recent grousing of several anonymous Marlins, anyway. That's the difference between winning and losing. What's worth remembering, however, is that McKeon got the Florida job in the first place when Jeff Torborg was fired for having been judged to be too easy a mark for the players. He cared too much about what they thought of him. "Anybody would rather have people like you," McKeon said in a concourse behind the Marlins dugout before Friday night's 12-5 victory against Texas in Dolphins Stadium, "but I've got a job to do." It's not that he's unconcerned exactly, but neither is McKeon worried about his popularity... or lack thereof. "Happens all the time," he said. The man is nothing if not comfortable in his own skin, which is something else about which his team should take note. The Marlins are in the situation they're in ? stuck in mediocrity and the National League East pack ? primarily because they haven't been hitting with runners on base, Juan Pierre and Mike Lowell haven't been hitting much at all and Al Leiter hasn't done very well as a starting pitcher. Otherwise, quite frankly, the Marlins have performed pretty much as expected. What is odd about the team funk is that Pierre, Lowell and Leiter are regarded as hard-working, stand-up guys. There's not an excuse-maker among them, which is as good as a team could hope for if it's going to have to cope with three strugglers in important roles. Pierre, a career.312 hitter coming into the season currently carrying a.257 average, has a well-earned reputation as a tireless worker. Lowell, a power-hitter fighting a season-long slump, said of himself Friday night in the clubhouse, "I'm no whiner." He did parse the language a bit when asked if there was friction between McKeon and some players by saying there was "frustration among players." Leiter, who has been a model of consistency and success in recent seasons, is 2-6 with a 6.45 ERA. "I refuse to alter my personality based on a statistic," said Leiter, who'll get tonight's start. Interestingly, both Lowell and Leiter mentioned the need for players to be especially attentive to preparation when a team is playing as poorly as the Marlins have played in recent weeks. Does that mean there hasn't been enough of that kind of focus? "Players should be disappointed and downright mad," Leiter said. Does that mean McKeon has been vocal, and loudly so, about the situation? "Jack's abrasive," Lowell said. "When you're winning, there's no need for that. When you're losing, everything gets magnified." Not much need for interpretation in either player's statement. McKeon dismissed the complainers by recalling an old bromide. "It's better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt," he said. But then he issued a challenge: "If you have something to say, put your name on it." McKeon, for his part, did go back to the opening day batting order except for the pitcher with Pierre reinserted in the leadoff spot and Lowell elevated once again to the fifth position. Pierre slashed two hits and Lowell smacked just his third home run of the season ? a grand slam? in response. The Marlins as a whole broke out for season-bests in runs scored and hits (17). Maybe it was McKeon's way of demonstrating faith in a team's old-style capabilities. It's possible the Marlins are fragile enough these days that such a reaffirmation carries considerable psychological weight. That'll have to pass for a McKeon coddle. The Marlins would be silly or stupid or both to think otherwise. Link With Jack you always know what you will get.
June 11, 200521 yr Weak. The decision to keep Jack will have very little to do with how good or poor a manager he is. You can't return to 2003 or 2004 or even early 2005.
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